Q I like to run all my DOS programs in full-screen mode, but I get tired of having to set properties every time I install a new program. Is there a way to set the default to full-screen mode rather than "windows" mode?

In Windows 3.x, 95, and NT 4.0, the properties for your DOS application (window properties, memory usage, and so on) depend on program information files (PIFs). If a DOS application doesn't have an associated PIF, it uses the properties set in a file named _default.pif. Change this file, and you change the settings for all DOS programs that lack their own PIFs.

To do this in Windows 3.x, start the PIF Editor in the Main program group. Choose FileûOpen, select _default.pif in the Windows directory, and click OK. Then change the settings you want. Don't be surprised if you see a file named _default.bat in the Program Filename box. Though no such file exists on your hard disk, Windows uses this dummy variable as a placeholder, since the PIF cannot be saved if the command line is empty. This is also true for NT.

In Windows 95 and NT 4.0, open _default.pif by right-clicking it (look in the Windows folder) and choosing Properties. Then you can modify the settings. For example, click the Program tab and check Close on Exit, or click the Screen tab and select Full-screen. Then click OK.

If you didn't upgrade to Win 95 from a previous version, your computer may not have a default.pif file. No problem. Just locate the dosprmpt.pif file in your Windows folder, use the right mouse button to drag it to an empty area of the window, and choose Copy Here. With the new copy selected, press <F2> to rename it, type _default, and press <Enter>. Then follow the steps above to modify this file.